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The active ingredient common to all alcoholic beverages is ethyl alcohol or ethanol. It is a clear, almost tasteless liquid formed through the fermentation of sugars by yeast spores. The amount of alcohol produced depends upon the type and amount of sugar in the original mixture, the type of yeast used, and the temperature maintained during the fermentation process. American beers, which contain about 3 to 6 percent alcohol, are made from malted barley and hops. Most wines are made by fermenting grapes or berries and normally reach a maximum of about 15 percent alcohol, though they are sometimes "fortified" with additional ethanol alcohol and thus may reach 20 percent alcohol in sherry or port wines.
Other more potent beverages, such as whiskey, often have grains, such as corn, as a basic ingredient but must use a distillation process to increase their alcohol content. To do this, the fermenting mixture, or "mash," is heated in a closed container so that the ethanol can be vaporized, separated, and then reliquified by cooling. While it is possible to produce pure ethyl alcohol by this process, most distilled spirits actually contain about 20 to 50 percent alcohol.
The most common characteristics associated with the effects of alcohol are bodily reactions such as vomiting and behaviors such as staggering and slurred speech. These effects mainly reflect the action of alcohol as a general depressant of the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. Alcohol reduces the ability of neurons (nerves) to produce and transmit electrical impulses, which relay information within the brain necessary for thinking and controlling bodily functions.
The heart and circulation are also affected by large doses of alcohol. When the blood-alcohol concentration in a person's body is high, heart rate and blood pressure decrease. Irregularities in the heart function, especially its rhythm, are fairly common. Alcohol dilates (enlarges) blood vessels at the body's surface. This is sometimes noticeable as a reddening of the skin and an increased sense of warmth. However, drinking actually increases heat loss and thus reduces the core body temperature, leaving muscles and internal organs with less blood.
In addition to the depressing effect of alcohol on the central nervous system, alcohol also affects the endocrine (gland) system. In the presence of alcohol, the pancreas secretes an excess of the hormone insulin, and as a result, sugars in the blood may be broken down too rapidly. At the same time, alcohol reduces production of glucose (a type of sugar) by the liver. Together these effects can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), characterized by low energy, increased anxiety, and other psychological effects.
Another common effect of alcohol is increased urination, which is influenced by hormones released from glands. Although the fluid intake during drinking increases the need for urination, the presence of alcohol in the pituitary gland causes the release of a hormone that reduces the amount of fluid retained by the kidneys.
Alcohol is also one of the leading causes of impotence among men.
Perhaps the most dangerous short-term effect of alcohol is the one that accompanies blood-alcohol concentrations which are at levels low enough to give the intoxicated person the false confidence to participate actively in practical tasks, such as swimming, bicycling, operating power tools, and driving. In such situations, not only is the person's life in danger, but others may also be in danger.
As a result of the effects of alcohol on the body from the above, it should not be too surprising that repeated drinking can have very serious physical consequences. Chronic drinking can kill brain cells, change brain structure, and reduce the supply of blood to the brain. Alcohol also robs the body of thiamine (a B vitamin) and other vitamins critical to brain functioning. As a partial consequence, the chronic drinker may experience premature aging.
Alcohol's central nervous system damage also includes problems with coordination, movement, and perception, confused and disorganized thinking, and significant loss of memory functioning. This type of memory problem is different from a blackout, or failure of the sober individual to recall events that happened during a period when he or she was intoxicated.
Because the liver is so central to the body's processing of alcohol, it is an organ greatly affected by chronic drinking. Fatty deposits, caused by the effects of alcohol on the body's handling of fats, may accumulate in the liver and can also result from prolonged heavy drinking, producing pain and liver damage that sometimes can be fatal. Cirrhosis of the liver is the disease most commonly associated with alcoholism. It involves the development of scar tissue to replace those parts of the liver damaged by excessive inflammation and other disease-related symptoms. These symptoms are not reversible and greatly impair vital functions of the liver, such as clearing the body of toxic substances, thus substantially increasing the risk of early death.
As a result of the short-term and long-term effects of alcohol, the life expectancy and the quality of life of chronic heavy drinkers is markedly reduced.
